Leahy Low Vision Clinic

Hours of Operation

The Low Vision Clinic sees patients Monday - Friday, with availability varying on a weekly basis. This clinic is by appointment only.
For an appointment, call (570) 941-6112.

Purpose

After opening in the Fall of 2015, the Low-Vision Clinic is proudly providing free services to uninsured or underinsured residents of Lackawanna County as an extension of the Leahy Center. There is no other low vision specialist in the area, so people served by the Clinic may have previously foregone care due to lack of access to services. The Clinic strives to provide high-quality care in a welcoming, respectful, and compassionate environment with the ultimate goal of maximizing independence for those who might otherwise become dependent without this treatment.

"The point of the low-vision clinic is to find out what's important to the patient and then help them find adaptations that will allow them to continue those activities." - Julie Nastasi

Client Education

Clients with visual impairments sometimes experience the most functional limitations when it comes to everyday tasks such as reading, writing, money management, and medication management. One goal of the Low-Vision Clinic is to educate clients on their condition and explain what interventions are available to improve their function and participation in occupations.

Equipment

Evaluation tools include:

Eye Dominance Testing

Reading Assessments

Visual Field Testing

Contrast Sensitivity

Scotoma Assessment

Intervention tools include:

Handheld and Stand Magnifiers

Preferred retinal locus (PRL) Training

Typoscopes and Writing Tools

Dynavision D2

LuxIQ Light Chooser

Closed-circuit Televisions (i.e. Prodigi Electronic Magnifier)

ZoomText with Keyboard

Learning and Service Opportunities for Students

In addition to providing care, the Low-Vision Clinic offers opportunities for teaching and learning to University of Scranton faculty and occupational therapy students. Students are welcomed by the Clinic to observe sessions and interact with clients to gain skills in low-vision services. This opportunity offers students valuable experience in this specialty area that is an emerging area of practice.

Meet the Low Vision Specialist

Dr. Julie Nastasi has been practicing as an accomplished occupational therapist for 15 years while earning numerous degrees, and she has been working in low vision for over 10 years. Dr. Nastasi has specialized in low vision rehabilitation after earning a graduate certificate in low vision rehabilitation from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a specialty certification in low vision from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In 2014, she was named to the AOTA’s Roster of Fellows for her contributions to low vision rehabilitation and the field of occupational therapy. She is recognized for holding leadership positions in national and state occupational therapy associations; in addition, she has presented at several conferences and has authored 14 publications since 2012. Dr. Nastasi continues to monitor low vision for AOTA, and her recent accomplishments in low vision include starting the Low-Vision Clinic through the Leahy Center and publishing the first Practice Perks: Low Vision article in OT Practice.